TRISTAN WILLENBURG WRITES – Since 2011, the conflict in Syria has caused a massive refugee exodus. A large majority are now located in the countries of Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. Recently, several European countries have begun to allow Syrian refugees into their borders. While these are promising steps, they have also opened…
RYAN LIPPERT WRITES – Every summer, North Korea makes it known that they vehemently oppose the annual military exercises held by South Korea and the United States. This time, however, tensions may run slightly higher than they usually do during this time of the year. Last Monday, the armed forces…
ALEXIS CRUZ WRITES – One could say that Al Qaeda is the grumpy old man to the Islamic State’s (ISIS) younger, vibrant, and more energetic twenty-something year old. Their success in recruiting is due to members being greatly familiar with modern technology and excelling at the use of social media.…
WRITE WEIWEI XU AND TIMOTHY DWYER, ASSOCIATE PROF. FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY — The tragic explosion in the Chinese city of Tianjin, which has so far claimed the lives of 114 people including 19 firefighters, triggered a nationwide online conversation in China. The widespread social sharing of video and…
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – Big occasions call for speeches that will be remembered for decades. Unfortunately, for the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivered one that disappointed many. Both China and South Korea wait anxiously every time the Prime Minister is…
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – In late June, nine-year-old Daniel Cabrera couldn’t find a light bulb to study under, but now, the inspirational Filipino boy certainly has a bright future ahead of him. On June 23rd, a college student by the name of Joyce Torrefranca found Cabrera studying on the…
KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – There doesn’t seem to be a lot of options when it comes to making a music video teaser. Single-takes have been done. Multi-parts are a thing of the past. So what can K-Pop groups do to rope in a wider audience for their tracks? Seven-member boy…
RYAN LIPPERT WRITES – Last month, a “biological weapons expert” known only as Lee allegedly defected from his native North Korea to Finland. Yonhap News states that he “held a data storage device with 15 gigabytes of information on human experiments” which may prove the existence of North Korea’s alleged…
ALEXIS CRUZ WRITES- Qatar is going on the offensive in the media game. The country wants the world to know that it is keeping the World Cup and is looking to start a rebranding effort. A Washington Post blog item published in May reported that 1,200 migrant workers had died…
ALESSANDRA DALY JOHNSON WRITES – A new social media war has begun. On July 8, the United States and United Arab Emirates announced the launch of an information warfare center to combat the ‘slick’ social media presence of the Islamic State (known also as IS or Daesh). In a press…
ERISA TAKEDA WRITES: Hi all! My mom tells me that in Japan, it’s a tradition to start a letter by addressing the season. So: For the past three weeks or so, Japan has been getting warnings of typhoons 9, 10, 11, and the upcoming 12. Do not be fooled; this…
RYAN LIPPERT WRITES – Is impotence keeping you down? Tired of having bad skin? Suffering from cancer, Ebola, AIDS, MERS, or almost any other scary, life-threatening disease? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions and are able to visit North Korea, you may want to ask your physician…
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – Zoos and aquariums have seemingly always been under fire by animal rights activists and others who believe that putting animals on display is cruel. To help ease tensions, the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA) voted to stay part of the World Association of Zoos…
ALEXIS CRUZ WRITES- World soccer is wrapped up in a whirlwind of scandal. Not only have American authorities indicted FIFA executives, they are now working with the Swiss to investigate soccer’s governing body for corruption and bribery. Once again under scrutiny are Russia’s (2018) and Qatar’s (2022) upcoming World Cup matches. Qatar…
HAIG TER-GHEVONDIAN WRITES – Here in the United States, someone can say or write a controversial opinion and be protected from government intervention or the public. Some abuse it and some take it for granted, but having a right like freedom of speech implemented and enforced in Pakistan would be a…
RYAN LIPPERT WRITES– If a hotel in Pyongyang catches fire and the media doesn’t mention it, does it still burn? Of course it does! Last Thursday, the Koryo Hotel, one of the tallest and best-known buildings in North Korea’s capital, caught fire. In a city populated by approximately 3.2 million…
